Remote-control mechanism



Aug. 23, 1949. A. MMILLAN 2,480,083 I REMOTE-CONTROL MECHANISM I Filed Feb. 26, 1946 (moi-m Patented Aug. 23, 1949 UN l-T'ED STATES PAT E'NT OFFICE REMOTE-CONTROL MECHANISM Andrew McMillan; Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Chain Belt Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application February 26, 1946. Serlal'No; 650,189

szoiaimsr (0114-471) The invention relates to remote control mechanism, and has for itsprincipal object the provision of a simple and relatively inexpensive apparatus of the Bowden wire type bymeans of which a plurality of levers, handlesor similar control elements may be actuated in sequence through successive movements of a single actuat in'g member:

The invention is susceptible of various applications, of which the remote control of internal combustion engines may be citedas typical. For example, it is common practice to control the starting and stopping of a Di sel motor by means of a lever controlling a fuel supply vans; and to vary the speed of the engiriiebetwieriidlin'g and maximum by manipulation of'a second lever. The mechanism of the present invention provides means whereby sequential operationof two such elements may be eliected through manipulation of a single actuating memben to the end that the fuel valve lever may be first actuated toopen theva'lve to start the engine, subsequent to which the speed control lever may be advanced and retarded to vary the speed as desired, while the fuel valve lever remains in its o en" position. Conversely, in stopping'th'e engine the speed regulating lever will be first moved toiidl'in'g position, after which the fuel valve lever will be shifted to close the valve.

Although various other usesw'ill readily suggest themselves, for purposes of disclosure of the principles of the invention it will be described in connection with the actuation of such engine controlling levers, with the full scope of the invention being definedin the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is an elevati'onal view partly diagrammati'c and in section, illustrating theseveral parts in the positions they occupy when the motor is stopped;

Fig. 2 is a similar View illustrating the positions of the parts when the motor is running at idling speed; and

Fig. 3 is a view showing the positions assumed when the motor is running at maximum speed.

In the said drawing ll indicates an oscillatory lever or control element bymeans of which the fuelsupply valve (not shown) may be opened and closed whereby to start and stop the engine, while l2 indicatesan oscillatory lever or control element by means of which the speed regulating device (also not Shown) may be actuated to secure variations in the engine speed between idling anamaxiinum. Suitable stops l3 and It 2 may be provided to limit the movements of the lever ll, while similar stops IE'and IE limit the movements of the lever i2, which. is biased to the idling position against stop I5 as by a spring [1.

The control element H is connected by a link i8' to one end of a rock lever [-9, the other end of which has attached to it, as by a clip 20, an end portion of the spirally wound sheath 2! of a Bowden wire or like flexible power transmitter 22. An endp'ortion of this wire'protrudes' somewhat from the end" or" the sheath, as indicated in Fig. 1', and is attached to the control eiement l2'b'y an appropriate connector The wire an'd'it's sheath extend to a remote operating station; where the other end of the Wire is con neoted by'a suitable connector 24 to an actuating member, such for example as a lever 25, by means of which longitudinal movement may beimpartedto the wire in eitherdirection. The sheath 2lis anchored against movement at appropriate points throughout its length, as by clips and 21. so that the wire will slide within it.

The parts are so proportioned and assembled that wh n they ar'e in the stop positions of Fig; 1 that portion of the cable structure intermediate the clips 20 and 26 is displaced transversely of the structure axis to a bowed or arcuate condition, as indicated'at 28. This is due to the fact that the portion of the sheath 2| between the clips 20 and 26 is of a length substantially equal to the distance between such clips when the lever l'9'is in the position of Figs. 2 and 3, while the length of' the wire 22 is somewhat greater than the distance between the connectors 23' and 24 when these are in the positions of Fig. 1. As a result, since counterclockwise movement of the control element l2 beyond its idle posi tion is prevented by the abutment or stop I 5, the force exerted on the wire through lever 25 as the latter is moved from its idle to its "stop position causes the portion of the cable structure intermediate the clips 20 and 26 to assume the arcuate or bowed condition indicated in Fig. 1. Since the sheath is firmly anchored against movement by the clip 26 while the lever l9 and its clip 20 are movable, this bowing produces a longitudinal displacement of the sheath end and clip 20' which causes the lever It to assume the Fig. 1 position.

The'parts will remain in their Fig. 1 positions so long as the actuating lever 25 is retained in its "stopf position; However, if the said lever be moved to the "idlf position, as shown in Fig. 2; it will tension the wire 22 and tend todraw it through the sheath from left to right, as viewed in the drawings. The biasing spring I1 is sufliciently strong to prevent movement of the speed control lever l2 away from its stop 15 during this portion of the movement of actuating lever 25, and since the control element H is unbiased in either direction, it results that the portion of the cable 22 between the clips 20 and 26 is straightened and the bow 28 eliminated. With the sheath 2| firmly anchored against movement at 26, this straightening of the cable structure causes the left hand end of the sheath to be forced toward the left, thus rocking the lever [B in a counterclockwise direction and, through link [8, shifting the control element H to its run position of Fig. 2. The motor may now be started and will run at idling speed, since the speed control element I2 is still in its idle position.

If it be desired to increase the speed of the motor, further movement of the actuating lever 25 toward or to its maximum position of Fig. 3 will overcome the force of the spring H and draw the wire 22 through the sheath 2|, thus moving the speed control element It toward or to its maximum position, shown in said figure. A quadrant or other appropriate detent 29 may be associated with the lever 25, whereby the parts may be retained in any desired position.

Obviously, release of the lever 25 whereby it may be returned to its idle position will permit the cable 22 to be drawn through the sheath by the spring ll and thus restore the speed control element !2 to its Fig. 2 position against the abutment l5. If movement of the lever 25 be continued to its stop" position, since the abutment it: will prevent further movement of control element 12, the push now imposed upon the wire will again produce the bow or arc 28 in the cable structure, thereby restoring the parts l9, l8 and l l to their Fig. 1 positions and stopping the motor.

The rock lever l 9 and link are merely direction reversing connections which enable the control element l I to be moved in the same directions as the element i2, and obviously in any case where it may be necessary or desirable that the elements move in op osite direct ons the said connections ill and IE may be omitted and the element I! connected directly to the sheath end by the clip 2!].

In any a plication of the invent on which may call for the element I! being shifted toward t e ri ht ahead of movement of. the element H and toward the left subsequent thereto, the biasing s r ng ll may be applied to the last named element instead of to the element l2, wh ch will defer straight ning of t e bowed portion 28 of the cable structure until the element 2 has bee b o t to engagement with stop 16.

What is claimed is:

1. In r mote control m c n m f r engin s. the com n tion of a pair of revers ble control levers operable in sequence to govern respectively the starting and stopping, and the rate of speed. of the engine; a flexible cable structure comprising a longitudinally movable cable connected to one of said levers for actuation thereof, and a tubular sheath slidably housing said cable and having a portion connected with the other lever for actuating the same; means spaced from said sheath connection for anchorin the sheath against longitudinal movement, the cable structure intermediate said anchor means and sheath connection being free for transverse flexing movements whereby to cause displacement of said connection longitudinally of the cable structure; means for temporarily preventing. movement of one of the levers in one direction, whereby force applied to cable in one direction longitudinally thereof will produce transverse flexing of said free portion of the cable structure in one direction with consequent longitudinal displacement of the sheath connection and movement of the sheath-actuated lever in sequence with movement of the cable-actuated lever; and means for positively limiting movement of one of the levers, whereby force applied to the cable in the opposite longitudinal direction will produce reverse transverse flexing of the free portion of the cable structure and sequential movements of the levers in their reverse direction.

2. In remote control mechanism for engines, the combination of a pair of reversible control levers operable in sequence to govern the starting and stopping, and the rate of speed of the engine, respectively; a flexible push-pull cable structure comprising a longitudinally movable cable connected to one of said levers for actuation thereof, and a tubular sheath slidably housing said cable and having a portion connected with the other lever for actuating the same; means spaced from said sheath connection for anchoring the sheath against longitudinal movement, the cable structure intermediate said anchor means and sheath connection being free for transverse flexing movements between an arcuate and a substantially rectilinear condition whereby to cause displacement of said sheath connection longitudinally of the cable structure; means for yieldably restraining the cable-actuated lever against pull on the cable whereby such pull will initially produce transverse flexing of said free portion of the cable structure from its arcuate to its rectilinear condition with consequent longitudinal displacement of the sheath connection and movement of the sheath-actuated lever in advance of movement of the cableactuated lever; and stop means for limiting movement of the cable-actuated lever resulting from push on the cable, whereby such push will produce transverse flexing of the free portion of the cable structure back to its arcuate position with resultant reverse movement of the sheathactuated lever subsequent to reverse movement of the cable-actuated lever.

3. In remote control mechanism for engines, the combination of a pair of control levers operable in sequence to govern the starting and stopping, and the speed of the engine, respectively; a flexible cable structure comprising a longitudinally movable cable connected to the speed control lever, and a tubular sheath slidably housing said cable and having a portion connected to the start ng lever; means spaced from said last named connection for anchoring the sheath against long tudinal movement, the cable structure int-"rmediate said anchor means and sheath connection being free for transverse flexing movements whereby to cause displacement of the sheath connection longitudinally of the cable structure; a remotely located operating lever connected to said cable for moving the same in either direction at will; resilient means for initially restraining said speed control lever against movement by the cable in one direction, whereby such cable movement will first produce transverse flexing of said free portion of the cable structure with resultant longitudinal movement of the sheath connection and shifting of the ANDREW MCMILLAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hangel Mar. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Nov. 28, 1903 Germany Feb. 5, 1941 

